Social Work
Mission, Vision and Goals > Social Work Services > Employment Information > Student Field Instruction Program >
Mission, Vision and Goals
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The mission of the Social Work Department is to provide
comprehensive, quality social work services that enhance the
psychosocial functioning of patients and their families.
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The vision is to continuously strive for excellence in
psychosocial assessment, treatment, discharge and aftercare planning to
empower patients to maximize their overall functioning.
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The goals are to provide counseling, education and services to
patients and their families; to recognize and advocate for patients’
rights; and to collaborate with the treatment team to provide a
comprehensive plan of care.
Social Work Services
The Social Work Department delivers professional services to patients, their families and significant others within the mission of the hospital and the ethics of the Profession. Social Work has historically supported persons in their environment, providing linkages to support systems that address the complex issues facing our patients.
Social workers actively participate in the admission process. This process involves the assessment of the individuals’ needs to determine whether they meet the criteria for admission. This also includes the admission interview, which comprises patient and family education regarding Advance Medical Directives, patients’ rights, services of the hospital and legal proceedings.
Social Workers provide services to adolescents, adults and elderly inpatients with mental health diagnoses that meet criteria for admission to the hospital. Social workers are assigned to every unit of the hospital and provide services for patients to meet their individual psychosocial needs. An array of services is provided which includes psychosocial needs assessment; treatment planning in cooperation with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the patient and significant others; individual, family and group counseling; facilitation of services, such as socio-legal and forensic services; coordination of discharge planning, assistance in obtaining entitlements, and education about negotiating the vast service delivery systems.
Social workers are an integral part of treatment teams, administrative meetings, committees, process teams and division meetings. Social work staff members regularly participate in a variety of performance improvement teams to address team, department and hospital-wide issues contributing to improved care and treatment of patients.
Employment Information
Qualifications and Procedures for
Employment
Qualifications for employment of social workers require the individual
to have a Masters of Social Work degree (M.S.W.) and a valid license
from the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners-
http://www.dhmh.state.md.us/bswe/. For any position beyond
the entry level, there are additional requirements based on experience
and licensure.
Social Work Employee Orientation and Competency Assessments
Continuing Education Requirements
Social workers must meet the
requirements of the Hospital and Social Work Department for continuing
education and in-service training for professional growth. Full-time all
social workers are required to obtain 40 CEU’s every two years, which
have been approved by the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners, in
order to maintain their license.
Spring Grove Hospital Center guidelines require that 20 of these
CEU’s be completed each calendar year. Training which meets Board of
Examiners requirements is provided annually by the Social Work
Department. In-service
training is provided when needed due to new initiatives and policies.
Credentialing and Privileging
Social Workers must have approved
specialized privileges in order to deliver specific services, which
require special training, experience and expertise. Social Workers are
credentialed and privileged through the Department, with approval by the
Medical staff. Credentials and privileges are reviewed at least every
two years.
Additional Information
For additional information, please
contact Denise Goldberg, LCSW-C, ACSW, Director of Social Work at
410-402-7449 or email at
GoldbergD@dhmh.state.md.us.
Student Field Instruction Program
The Social Work Department at Spring Grove Hospital has been providing field placements to students since 1950. Currently field instruction placements are provided for Social Work students from schools with which there is a contract with the Hospital’s Department of Learning Resources.
Role of Social Work Students
Social Work students begin their
placements with a student orientation program, which includes
presentations on such topics as Patient Rights, Infection Control, Fire
and Safety, Medical Record Documentation, Prevention and Management of
Aggressive Behavior, and Psychopharmacology. Students may work closely
with the field instructor for a brief period and observe the work of the
staff on the unit. After this introduction to staff responsibilities and
patient care, students gradually assume a small caseload.
As the placement progresses, with continuous supervision,
students move toward greater independence. By the end of field
placement, most students carry out all the duties of the staff Social
Workers with minimal supervision. Social Workers at the hospital provide
a full array of services to the patients. These services include initial
psychosocial assessments, individual, group, and family interventions,
and discharge planning. Students are also part of the interdisciplinary
team and attend staff meetings such as treatment planning meetings.
Field Instruction Settings
Students may be placed throughout the
Hospital depending on their interests. Upon arrangement, students may
also observe other areas of the hospital, thus providing a wealth of
experience.
Field Instructors
All field instructors have a Master of
Social Work and are licensed at the certified level (LCSW). They have
participated in the required orientation and training of the schools and
have been approved by the Social Work Department administration.
Educational Opportunities
Various educational opportunities are
available to students at no charge. These include the monthly Social
Work Seminar, Grand Rounds, and other hospital programs. Specific social
work student meetings may also be scheduled according to student
interest and need.
Application Information
Interested students should contact
their school field instruction program representative. After the school
refers students to the hospital Social Work Department, students call
the Coordinator of Social Work Student Program to arrange an appointment
for a pre-placement interview. This interview is an exchange of
information between student and staff, and includes a brief tour of the
unit.
Additional Student Information
To obtain additional information you may call Lynn Lopez, LCSW-C,
Coordinator of Social Work Student Program, at (410) 402-7550 or email
at LopezL@dhmh.state.md.us.
Together We Achieve
the Extraordinary
Social Workers serve as vital members of interdisciplinary treatment teams. We continue to provide services from pre-admission screening to discharge planning. Social work has historically viewed persons in their environments and attempts to provide linkage with or to establish support systems to address the often complex issues facing our patients. The services provided may include individual, group and family therapy, education, substance abuse treatment, assistance obtaining medical, legal, and financial entitlements, and negotiating the vast service delivery systems. The aftercare plan represents the progress that a patient has made and provides outpatient resources to enhance and maintain stability toward an improved quality of life. As a department, we are active in maintaining professionalism, providing field instruction, meeting educational goals and reviewing and modifying our practices to enhance our services to patients.